The next generation of 3D design

posted by Team XYZ on November 12, 2014

If you could get your hands on a 3D printer, what would YOU make, #GenXYZ? With all the rage with 3D printing these days, some of us might overlook the important step before printing: designing. For this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we had the opportunity to interview the CEO and self-proclaimed “80’s Movies Geek” of UMake.xyz, Evi Meyer.

UMake is an exciting startup based in Palo Alto, CA, launching the newest intuitive 3D design software – all through their awesome .xyz domain name. When deciding on a business name, they wanted something to reflect the flexibility and innovative quality of their product. And that’s exactly what they found with UMake.xyz.

For their online presence, Evi shared with us that “.xyz fit like a glove for [their] UMake brand. It has a double meaning: 1) XYZ can be anything ‘this X, that Y, and Z’ 2) XYZ are 3D space axes. This is exactly what we want our brand to reflect: You can make anything in 3D.”

Now let’s dive-in with a few questions:

XYZ: What makes your product stand out from other 3D design software such as SketchUp or AutoCAD?

UMake: All of these tools are great and have influenced the design software space for many years. The difference between UMake and these software offerings is that:

UMake is a super simple and intuitive app, as opposed to having a steep learning curve

Anyone can use it, not only professionals

It’s on mobile, where the touchscreen is key!

Mobile is where everyone is right now. We want to leverage the mobile platform and strengthen its position as the new standard for software experiences that cater to hobbyists and professionals.

X: You just launched your beta program. How are things going so far?

U: It’s very exciting for us to release something that we have put a ton of effort into. We’re starting to get initial data on how people are using our app and we’re getting tons of great ideas and suggestions from people that tell us how UMake can change the way people look at 3D design – that’s amazing and an interesting experience for us.

X: Your team has an extremely impressive background and are all alums of Autodesk (for those who might not know, Autodesk is the industry leader in 3D design software). How has branching off and the experience of being a startup been?

U: All we can say is “Wow!” This is the most amazing experience we’ve all had in years. I think the freedom to do something you’re so passionate about, and build something, makes it an awesome experience. The uncertainty can sometimes be less pleasant, but that’s also what’s amazing about it – the process can surprise you and brings you to new heights.

Well, there you have it, #GenXYZ. UMake is changing the face of 3D design and the team is working hard so YOU can seamlessly bring your ideas to life. UMake is looking to add more talented people like you who want to test-drive new design experiences and help improve UMake. This is a great opportunity for designers to try something new. Sign up for the beta program on UMake.xyz now!

Fun fact: they also registered “YouMake.xyz”, just in case some of us might type it in that way. YouMake.xyz will automatically redirect you to their proper site, UMake.xyz. What a great strategy!

Are there any other .xyz websites that you’d like Team XYZ to have a fireside chat with? Let us know through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and tag #GenXYZ.